Readers Blog: Restrictions of Educate Together enrolments

Back in much darker days, when education was a rarity, we were blessed with visionaries who established schools for the downtrodden. Catherine McAuley, Ignatius Rice, and Mary Aikenhead surmounted many obstacles but I doubt if they ever considered putting restrictions on their eager school entrants.

With our Educate Together school here in Tramore alas, that is what is happening — courtesy of the Department of Education. It is being restricted this year to a half-stream intake (13 enrolments instead of 26), in common with four other similar schools in New Ross, Tuam, Trim, and Castlebar. This is fundamentally discriminatory. It is unequal treatment vis-a-vis other schools — it is even unequal treatment compared with other Educate Together schools.